Springdale grad Sean Dugan putting his stamp on outside linebackers as Austin Peay assistant
Share this post:
Sean Dugan’s football playing days ended only six years ago, but in that short time, the college football landscape has experienced a seismic shift.
The creation of name, image and likeness opportunities; the transfer portal; and shifting conference memberships have coalesced to produce an environment that is as head-scratching as it is exciting. The events have led some longtime coaches to throw up their hands in exasperation and even walk away from the sidelines.
Perhaps it takes a younger coaching staff to get a handle on all of the newness. If that is the case, Austin Peay is well equipped to deal with it.
After coming on board as a grad assistant linebackers coach last year, the 28-year-old Dugan, a Springdale grad, was made a full-fledged assistant on coach Scotty Walden’s defensive staff for the upcoming season. At only 33, Walden is one of the youngest head coaches in Division I, and the oldest member of his staff is 37, so Dugan fits right in.
“Coach Dugan has a bright future in this profession because of his attitude and work ethic,” Walden said in a statement to the Trib. “That’s what led me to hire him as a position coach. I watched him come to work every day as a graduate assistant with a great attitude and work ethic.
“He’s a go-getter when it comes to recruiting, and that’s what you have to be to be a coach at this level.”
Added Dugan: “We are a young, energetic, enthusiastic and passionate staff. We come flying through the doors at 6 a.m. ready to get better.”
When it comes to dealing with the volatile nature of the current college game, Dugan isn’t sure being young is necessarily a huge advantage because it is new territory for everyone. Where the relative youth of Austin Peay’s staff does come in handy, he said, is in connecting with the players.
“(Coach Walden) does an unbelievable job with relating to our players but also does an unbelievable job of holding guys accountable,” Dugan said. “We’re not necessarily here to be buddy-buddy and best friends but be mentors, using football as a vehicle to create a future for these guys in the program.”
A standout linebacker at Millersville in the PSAC, where he was a first-team all-conference performer as a senior, Dugan will coach the Governors’ outside linebackers, referred to as the “bandit” position in their parlance.
Dugan likens the job of his “bandit” personnel to that of Steelers All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt: line up on the line of scrimmage to go after the quarterback or drop back into coverage.
As a player, Dugan got a good foundation for coaching by seeing defense from several perspectives. He spent his redshirt freshman year at Millersville as a safety then moved to outside linebacker before settling into the middle for his final two seasons.
Dugan’s knowledge of defense is just one of the reasons former Marauders coach Greg Breitbach believes he will be a successful college coach.
“Sean has a real strong capacity for the game,” Breitbach said. “He can anticipate things. He can see things that are real natural for him. His interconnectiveness with his teammates, his leadership style, his communication with his coaches, all of those things led me to believe he would be a very good coach.”
Additionally, Dugan has coached multiple positions throughout his young career, including serving as defensive coordinator at Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His experiences have made him understand the importance of each player knowing not only his own assignment but what the other players are supposed to be doing. That is something he hopes to impress on his bandit group.
“When you’re able to understand the big picture and how you fit within the big picture, it goes a long, long way,” Dugan said. “Football is the ultimate team game, particularly on defense. Understanding how your job affects the other 10 positions on the football field helps give more ownership and helps guys do the job to the fullest.”
Having everyone on the same page will be of particular importance for the Governors this season. After spending last season in the ASUN, where it was co-champion, Austin Peay — located in Clarksville, Tenn., about 50 miles northwest of Nashville near the Kentucky line — will compete in the new United Athletic Conference.
The UAC, a product of the aforementioned shifting of conferences, comprises former ASUN and WAC teams. In addition to Austin Peay, the conference will consist of Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State and Utah Tech.
“It’s going to be fun,” Dugan said. “Coach (Walden) talked about it recently: Seven of the 10 opponents we’re playing we’ve never played before. We’re excited about taking on the challenges the season is going to present. … We’re real excited about the potential this team has, certainly hungry to go win (the conference) outright and get into the (FCS playoffs) and make a run at the championship.”
While his immediate future is set, Dugan’s long-term plans have changed.
When he first got into coaching, he said, his end game was to be a defensive coordinator at a Division I school. Now, becoming a head coach is on his mind, though Dugan emphasized that will come “when the time is right.”
For now, he will try to help steer the Governors through a successful 2023 season and lend yet another infusion of youthful verve to the coaching staff.
“We all still feel like sometimes we could step on the football field and throw the pads on and run around and play with these guys,” Dugan joked. “But we find out pretty quickly that is, unfortunately, not the case.”